wood joinery / garden contest entry #1: my challenge

Ah, life. It’s what happens while you’re busy making other plans. I had (ok, still have) a great idea for both contests. Yes, two birds with one stone. And what was even better, was that it required only small amounts of time and attention, spread out over the duration of the contest. It was required actually. As I would be turning pieces of green wood, and needed to stagger the assembly, so as the pieces could dry gradually and mother nature could do the joinery for me. No need for even clamps or dowels, what a helper indeed!

Unfortunatley for me, time just got away, and I never even began… though I knew exactly what to do. Bugger.

I thought about creating a model, explaining what I would have made, or will someday still make… but that seems like a cop out, and a waste of a good idea. If I can’t make it within the scope of the contest, why then should I make it later? It would only taunt me, remind me that, while I had the time I just couldn’t find the time or energy. That I pretty much ignored the calendar and let time just slip away….

I had intended to spend the weekend working on the house – specifically replaceing siding and a little yard work – time and energy permitting. Mother Nature seems to have other plans – supposed to rain quite a bit. It seems she wants me inside, down in the shop, making something nice for the garden afterall…

Fortunately, I still have at least one day to make a go of it, and just this morning figured out a design change that would allow me to make the entire piece – using green and dry wood – all in one go.

The only projects I actually made on purpose were pens and screwdriver handles – everything else was just freeform playing, also, I’ve never spent more than a few hours at a time at the lathe in a classroom setting practicing beads and coves. Never made anything longer than 12”.

Now the challenge has become a test of my mettle, as well as one of endurance and artistic creativity. Can I actually create – visualize, conceptualize and create a garden project, using only wood, almost exclusively using the lathe, that is nearly, if not as tall as I am, in one day?

I do have one plan for a back-up project. Something small and simple, and no way nearly as impressive. I was looking forward to watching this project grow, working on it as if on a nice leisurely stroll. Now I’ll be excited to partake in a roadrace – part endurance run, part sprint. I was good on the track in high-school… but I was better running longer distances in the woods…. will be exciting to see what the end of the weekend brings.

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/